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Ublox SARA-G3 System Integration Manual

Gsm/gprs and gsm/egprs/hspa cellular modules
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SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series
GSM/GPRS and GSM/EGPRS/HSPA
Cellular Modules
System Integration Manual
Abstract
This document describes the features and the system integration of
the SARA-G3 series GSM/GPRS cellular modules and the SARA-U2
GSM/EGPRS/HSPA cellular modules.
These modules are complete and cost efficient solutions offering
voice and/or data communication over diverse cellular radio access
technologies in the same compact SARA form factor: the SARA-G3
series support up to 4-band GSM/GPRS while the SARA-U2 series
support 2-band high-speed HSPA and up to 2-band GSM/EGPRS.
www.u-blox.com
UBX-13000995 - R08

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  • Page 1 These modules are complete and cost efficient solutions offering voice and/or data communication over diverse cellular radio access technologies in the same compact SARA form factor: the SARA-G3 series support up to 4-band GSM/GPRS while the SARA-U2 series support 2-band high-speed HSPA and up to 2-band GSM/EGPRS.
  • Page 2 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Document Information Title SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series GSM/GPRS and GSM/EGPRS/HSPA Subtitle Cellular Modules Document type System Integration Manual Document number UBX-13000995 Revision, date 29-Apr-2014 Document status Objective Specification Document status explanation Objective Specification Document contains target values.

  • Page 3: Preface

    How to use this Manual The SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series System Integration Manual provides the necessary information to successfully design in and configure these u-blox cellular modules. This manual has a modular structure. It is not necessary to read it from the beginning to the end.

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Contents Preface ..........................3 Contents ..........................4 System description ....................... 8 Overview .............................. 8 Architecture ............................10 1.2.1 Internal blocks ..........................12 Pin-out ............................... 13 Operating modes ..........................18 Supply interfaces ..........................20 1.5.1...
  • Page 5 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.13.4 TCP/IP and UDP/IP ........................70 1.13.5 FTP .............................. 70 1.13.6 HTTP ............................70 1.13.7 SMTP ............................70 1.13.8 SSL .............................. 71 1.13.9 Dual stack IPv4/IPv6 ........................71 1.13.10 Smart temperature management ..................... 72 1.13.11...
  • Page 6 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.13.2 ESD immunity test of u-blox SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 reference designs........143 2.13.3 ESD application circuits ......................144 2.14 SARA-G350 ATEX integration in explosive atmospheres applications ..........146 2.14.1 General guidelines ........................146 2.14.2...
  • Page 7 “Go/No go” tests for integrated devices ..................165 5.2.2 Functional tests providing RF operation ..................165 Appendix ........................168 A Migration between LISA and SARA-G3 modules ........... 168 Overview ............................168 Checklist for migration ........................169 Software migration ........................... 170 Hardware migration..........................

  • Page 8: System Description

    SARA LGA form factor (26 x 16 mm) that allows seamless drop-in migration between the two SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series and easy migration to u-blox LISA-U series GSM/EGPRS/HSPA+ modules, LISA-C2 series CDMA modules, TOBY-L1 series LTE modules and to TOBY-L2 series GSM/EGPRS/DC-HSPA+/LTE modules.
  • Page 9 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Table 2 reports a summary of 2G cellular characteristics of SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules. Item SARA-U260 SARA-U270 SARA-G300 / SARA-G340 SARA-G310 / SARA-G350 Protocol stack 3GPP Release 7 3GPP Release 7...

  • Page 10: Architecture

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.2 Architecture Figure 1 summarizes the architecture of SARA-G300 and SARA-G310 modules, while Figure 2 summarizes the architecture of SARA-G340 and SARA-G350 modules, describing the internal blocks of the modules, consisting of the RF, Baseband and Power Management main sections, and the available interfaces.
  • Page 11 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Figure 3 summarizes the architecture of SARA-U260 and SARA-U270 modules, while Figure 4 summarizes the architecture of SARA-U280 and SARA-U290 modules, describing the internal blocks of the modules, consisting of the RF, Baseband and Power Management main sections, and the available interfaces.

  • Page 12: Internal Blocks

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.2.1 Internal blocks SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules internally consist of the RF, Baseband and Power Management sections here described with more details than the simplified block diagrams of Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4.

  • Page 13: Pin-Out

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.3 Pin-out Table 4 lists the pin-out of the SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules, with pins grouped by function. Function Pin Name Module Pin No Description Remarks Power 51, 52, 53 I Module supply VCC pins are internally connected each other.
  • Page 14 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Function Pin Name Module Pin No Description Remarks VSIM VSIM = 1.80 V typ. or 2.85 V typ. automatically SIM supply output generated according to the connected SIM type. See section 1.8 for functional description.
  • Page 15 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Function Pin Name Module Pin No Description Remarks Auxiliary RXD_AUX SARA-G3 Auxiliary UART 1.8 V output, Circuit 104 (RXD) in ITU-T V.24, UART data output for FW upgrade via EasyFlash tool and diagnostic.
  • Page 16 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Function Pin Name Module Pin No Description Remarks Analog MIC_BIAS SARA-G340 Microphone Supply output (2.2 V typ) for external microphone. Audio supply output SARA-G350 See section 1.10.1 for functional description. See section 2.7.1 for external circuit design-in.
  • Page 17 Leave unconnected. SARA-G310 See section 2.9 SARA-U2 RSVD SARA-G300 RESERVED pin Leave unconnected. SARA-G310 See section 2.9 Table 4: SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules pin definition, grouped by function UBX-13000995 - R08 Objective Specification System description Page 17 of 188...

  • Page 18: Operating Modes

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.4 Operating modes SARA-G3 modules have several operating modes. The operating modes defined in Table 5 and described in detail in Table 6 provide general guidelines for operation. General Status Operating Mode...
  • Page 19 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Operating Description Transition between operating modes Mode Active The module is ready to communicate with an When the module is switched on by an appropriate power-on event external device by means of the application (see 2.3.1), the module enters active-mode from not-powered or...

  • Page 20: Supply Interfaces

    V_BCKP Real Time Clock supply, V_INT digital interfaces supply and VSIM SIM card supply. During operation, the current drawn by the SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules through the VCC pins can vary by several orders of magnitude. This ranges from the high peak of current consumption during GSM transmitting bursts at maximum power level in connected-mode (as described in section 1.5.1.2), to the low...
  • Page 21 RF power control level (approximately 2 W or 33 dBm in the Tx slot/burst), the current consumption can reach an high peak / pulse (see SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] and SARA-U2 series Data Sheet [2]) for 576.9 µs (width of the transmit slot/burst) with a periodicity of 4.615 ms (width of 1 frame = 8 slots/burst), so with a 1/8 duty cycle according to GSM TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access).
  • Page 22 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Figure 7 illustrates VCC voltage profile versus time during a GSM call, according to the related VCC current consumption profile described in Figure 6. Voltage overshoot 3.8 V (typ) drop ripple undershoot...
  • Page 23 Figure 9: VCC current consumption profile versus time during a GPRS multi-slot class 12 connection (4 TX slots, 1 RX slot) For detailed current consumption values during 2G single-slot or multi-slot connection see SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] and SARA-U2 series Data Sheet [2].
  • Page 24 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.5.1.3 VCC current consumption in 3G connected mode During a 3G connection, the SARA-U2 modules can transmit and receive continuously due to the Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode of operation with the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA).
  • Page 25 SARA-G300 and SARA-G310 modules when their EXT32K input pin is fed by an external 32 kHz signal with characteristics compliant to the one specified in SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1], when power saving is enabled. The module is registered with the network, automatically enters the very low power idle-mode, and periodically wakes up to active-mode to monitor the paging channel for paging block reception.
  • Page 26 For detailed current consumption values with the module registered with 2G or 3G network with power saving enabled (cyclic idle/active-mode) see SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] and SARA-U2 series Data Sheet [2]. UBX-13000995 - R08...
  • Page 27 Figure 13 roughly describes the current consumption profile of SARA-G300 and SARA-G310 modules when the EXT32K input pin is fed by external 32 kHz signal with characteristics compliant to the one specified in SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1], or by the 32K_OUT output pin provided by these modules, when power saving is disabled.
  • Page 28 DSP are periodically activated to monitor the paging channel For detailed current consumption values with the module registered with 2G or 3G network with power saving disabled (fixed active-mode) see the SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] and SARA-U2 series Data Sheet [2]. UBX-13000995 - R08...

  • Page 29: Rtc Supply Input/Output (V_Bckp)

    1.5.2 RTC supply input/output (V_BCKP) The V_BCKP pin of SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules connects the supply for the Real Time Clock (RTC) and Power-On internal logic. This supply domain is internally generated by a linear LDO regulator integrated in the Power Management Unit, as described in Figure 15.

  • Page 30: Generic Digital Interfaces Supply Output (V_Int)

    1.5.3 Generic digital interfaces supply output (V_INT) The same 1.8 V voltage domain used internally to supply the generic digital interfaces of SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules is also available on the V_INT supply output pin, as described in Figure 16.

  • Page 31: System Function Interfaces

    VCC supply starting from a voltage value lower than 2.25 V, providing a fast VCC voltage slope, as it must ramp from 2.5 V to 3.2 V within 4 ms on SARA-G3 modules and within 1 ms on SARA-U2 modules, and reaching a proper nominal VCC voltage value within the normal operating range.
  • Page 32 The V_INT generic digital interfaces supply output is enabled by the integrated power management unit.  The RESET_N line of SARA-G3 series rise suddenly to high logic level due to internal pull-up to V_INT.  The internal reset signal is held low by the integrated power management unit: the baseband processor core and all the digital pins of the modules are held in reset state.
  • Page 33 The V_INT generic digital interfaces supply output is enabled by the integrated power management unit.  The RESET_N line of SARA-G3 series rise suddenly to high logic level due to internal pull-up to V_INT.  The internal reset signal is held low by the integrated power management unit: the baseband processor core and all the digital pins of the modules are held in reset state.

  • Page 34: Module Power-Off

    It is highly recommended to avoid an abrupt removal of the VCC supply during SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules normal operations: the power off procedure must be properly started by the appplication,...
  • Page 35 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series power-off sequence. The duration of each phase in the SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules’ switch-off routines can largely vary depending on the application / network settings and the concurrent module activities.

  • Page 36: Module Reset

    An abrupt hardware reset occurs on SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules when a low level is applied on the RESET_N input pin for a specific time period. In this case, the current parameter settings are not saved in the module’s non-volatile memory and a proper network detach is not performed.

  • Page 37: External 32 Khz Signal Input (Ext32K)

    32 kHz signal. SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] describes the detailed electrical characteristics of the EXT32K input pin. The 32 kHz reference clock for the RTC timing is automatically generated by the internal oscillator provided on...

  • Page 38: Antenna Interface

    1.7.1 Antenna RF interface (ANT) The ANT pin of SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules represents the RF input/output for transmission and reception of the 2G or 3G RF signals. The ANT pin has a nominal characteristic impedance of 50  and must be connected to the antenna through a 50 ...

  • Page 39: Antenna Detection Interface (Ant_Det)

    The SIM driver supports the PPS (Protocol and Parameter Selection) procedure for baud-rate selection, according to the values determined by the SIM Card. SIM Application Toolkit is supported by all SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series except SARA-G300 and SARA-G310. 1.8.2 SIM card detection interface (SIM_DET) Not supported by SARA-G300-00S and SARA-G310-00S modules.

  • Page 40: Serial Interfaces

    ITU Recommendation [10]), with CMOS compatible signal levels: 0 V for low data bit or ON state, and 1.8 V for high data bit or OFF state. For detailed electrical characteristics see SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] and SARA-U2 series Data Sheet [2].
  • Page 41 460800 b/s and 921600 b/s baud rates are not supported by SARA-G3 series modules. 1200 b/s and 230400 b/s baud rates cannot be automatically detected by SARA-G3 series modules. 460800 b/s and 921600 b/s baud rates cannot be automatically detected by SARA-U2 series modules.
  • Page 42 1.9.1.2 UART AT interface configuration The UART interface of SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules is available as AT command interface with the default configuration described in Table 11 (for more details and information about further settings, see the u-blox AT Commands Manual [3]).
  • Page 43  on SARA-G3 modules the CTS line is set in the ON or OFF state accordingly to the power saving state as illustrated in Figure 25 if AT+UPSV=2 is set, and the CTS line is held in the ON state otherwise...
  • Page 44 For more details, see section 1.9.1.4 and u-blox AT Commands Manual [3], AT+UPSV command. AT+UPSV=3 power saving configuration control by the DTR input is not supported by SARA-G3 modules. UBX-13000995 - R08...
  • Page 45 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual DCD signal behavior If AT&C1 is set, as it is by default, the DCD module output line is set by default to the OFF state (high level) at UART initialization. The module then sets the DCD line according to the carrier detect status: ON if the carrier is detected, OFF otherwise.
  • Page 46 Figure 24. The AT+URING command for the notification of all the URCs and all the incoming data (PPP, Direct Link, sockets, FTP) over the RI line output is not supported by SARA-G3 modules. UBX-13000995 - R08...
  • Page 47 ON or OFF Data sent by the DTE is lost by SARA-U2 modules. The first character sent by the DTE is lost by SARA-G3 modules, but after ~20 ms the UART and the module are waked up: recognition of subsequent characters is guaranteed after the complete UART / module wake-up.
  • Page 48 AT+UPSV=1: power saving enabled, cyclic idle/active-mode On SARA-G3 modules, when the AT+UPSV=1 command is issued by the DTE, the UART is disabled after the timeout set by the second parameter of the +UPSV AT command (for more details see u-blox AT commands Manual [3]).
  • Page 49 Not registered: when a module is not registered with a network, the UART is enabled for ~20 ms, and then, if data has not been received or sent, the UART is disabled for ~2.1 s on SARA-G3 modules or for 2.5 s on...
  • Page 50  On SARA-G3 modules, if a data is sent by the DTE, it causes the system wake-up due to the “wake up via data reception” feature described in the following subsection, and the UART will be then kept enabled after...
  • Page 51 The UART wake up via data reception configuration is active in the following cases:  On SARA-G3 series, the TXD input line is configured to wake up the system via data reception if: AT+UPSV=1 is set with HW flow control disabled AT+UPSV=2 is set with HW flow control disabled, and the RTS line is set OFF ...
  • Page 52 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Figure 27 shows the case where in addition to the wake-up character further (valid) characters are sent. The wake up character wakes-up the module UART. The other characters must be sent after the “wake up time” of ~20 ms.

  • Page 53: Auxiliary Asynchronous Serial Interface (Uart Aux)

    1.9.1.5 Multiplexer protocol (3GPP 27.010) SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules have a software layer with MUX functionality, the 3GPP TS 27.010 Multiplexer Protocol [13], available on the UART physical link. The auxiliary UART, the USB and the DDC (I serial interfaces do not support the multiplexer protocol.
  • Page 54 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual SARA-U2 modules provide by default the following USB profile with the listed set of available USB functions (USB CDCs, Communications Device Classes):  USB1: AT and Data (AT command interface and packet-switched / circuit-switched data communication) ...

  • Page 55: Ddc (I C) Interface

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual If the USB interface of a SARA-U2 module is connected to the host before the module switch on, or if the module is reset with the USB interface connected to the host, the VID and PID are automatically updated runtime, after the USB detection.
  • Page 56 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Combining a u-blox cellular module with a u-blox GNSS receiver allows designers to have full access to the positioning receiver directly via the cellular module: it relays control messages to the GNSS receiver via a dedicated DDC (I C) interface.

  • Page 57: Audio Interface

    (for more details, refer to u-blox AT Commands Manual [3], AT+USPM, AT+UMGC, AT+UUBF, AT+UHFP commands). SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] provides the detailed electrical characteristics of the analog audio uplink path. UBX-13000995 - R08...
  • Page 58 8  or 4  loudspeaker for the hands-free mode. SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] provides the detailed electrical characteristics of the analog audio downlink path. Warning: excessive sound pressure from headphones can cause hearing loss.

  • Page 59: Digital Audio Interface

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.10.2 Digital audio interface SARA-G340, SARA-G350 and SARA-U2 modules provide one 1.8 V bidirectional 4-wire (I2S_TXD data output, I2S_RXD data input, I2S_CLK clock, I2S_WA world alignment) I S digital audio interface that can be used for digital audio communication with external digital audio devices as an audio codec.
  • Page 60 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.10.2.1 I S interface – PCM mode Main features of the I S interface in PCM mode (configurable by AT+UI2S command):  S runs in PCM – short alignment mode  S word alignment signal is configured by the <I2S_sample_rate> parameter ...

  • Page 61: Voice-Band Processing System

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.10.3 Voice-band processing system 1.10.3.1 SARA-G340 / SARA-G350 modules audio processing The voice-band processing on the SARA-G340 / SARA-G350 modules is implemented in the DSP core inside the baseband chipset. The analog audio front-end of the chipset is connected to the digital system through 16 bit ADC converters in the uplink path, and through 16 bit DAC converters in the downlink path.
  • Page 62 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Two different sample-based sample rate converters are used: an interpolator, required to convert the sample-based voice-band processing sampling rate of 8 kHz to the analog audio front-end output rate of 47.6 kHz; a decimator, required to convert the circular buffer sampling rate of 47.6 kHz to the I2Sx TX or the uplink path sample rate of 8 kHz.
  • Page 63 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual SARA-U2 modules audio signal processing algorithms are:  Speech encoding (uplink) and decoding (downlink).The following speech codecs are supported in firmware on the DSP for speech encoding and decoding: GERAN GMSK codecs...

  • Page 64: General Purpose Input/Output (Gpio)

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.11 General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) SARA-G300 and SARA-G310 modules do not support GPIOs. SARA-G340, SARA-G350 and SARA-U2 modules provide pins which can be configured as general purpose input or output, or can be configured to provide special functions via u-blox AT commands (for further details refer to the u-blox AT Commands Manual [3], +UGPIOC, +UGPIOR, +UGPIOW, +UGPS, +UGPRF): ...
  • Page 65  SIM card detection: The SIM_DET pin of SARA-G3 modules is by default configured to detect SIM card mechanical presence and this configuration cannot be changed by AT command. The SIM_DET pin of SARA-U2 modules is by default configured to detect SIM card mechanical presence as default setting of the AT+UGPIOC command: the “SIM card detection”...
  • Page 66 The pin configured to provide the “Module status indication” function is set as High, when the module is switched on (any operating mode during module normal operation) Low, when the module is switched off (power off mode) SARA-G3 series do not support “Module status indication” function.  Module operating mode indication: The SIM_DET pin of SARA-U2 modules can be configured to indicate module operating mode status (the low power idle-mode versus active or connected mode), by properly setting the parameter <gpio_mode>...
  • Page 67 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual  Pin disabled: All the GPIOs can be configured in tri-state with an internal active pull-down enabled, as a not used pin, setting the parameter <gpio_mode> of +UGPIOC AT command to 255.

  • Page 68: Reserved Pins (Rsvd)

    Table 13: GPIO pins configurations 1.12 Reserved pins (RSVD) SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules have pins reserved for future use: they can all be left unconnected on the application board, except the RSVD pin number 33 that must be externally connected to ground.

  • Page 69: System Features

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.13 System features 1.13.1 Network indication Not supported by SARA-G300 and SARA-G310 modules. The GPIO1, or the GPIO2, GPIO3, GPIO4 and, on SARA-U2 series only, the SIM_DET, alternatively from their default settings, can be configured to indicate network status (i.e. no service, registered home network, registered visitor network, voice or data call enabled), by means of the AT+UGPIOC command.

  • Page 70: Tcp/Ip And Udp/Ip

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.13.4 TCP/IP and UDP/IP Not supported by SARA-G300 and SARA-G310 modules. Via the AT commands it is possible to access the embedded TCP/IP and UDP/IP stack functionalities over the Packet Switched data connection. For more details about AT commands see u-blox AT Commands Manual [3].

  • Page 71: Ssl

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.13.8 SSL Not supported by SARA-G3 modules. SARA-U2 modules support the Transport Layer Security (TLS) / Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) cryptographic protocols to provide security over the FTP and HTTP protocols. The following features are supported: ...

  • Page 72: Smart Temperature Management

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.13.10 Smart temperature management Not supported by SARA-G300 and SARA-G310 modules. Cellular modules – independent of the specific model – always have a well-defined operating temperature range. This range should be respected to guarantee full device functionality and long life span.
  • Page 73 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Figure 31 shows the flow diagram implemented in the SARA-G340 and SARA-G350 modules for the Smart Temperature Supervisor. IF STS enabled Feature enabled Feature disabled: (full logic or no action indication only)

  • Page 74: Assistnow Clients And Gnss Integration

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Threshold definitions When the module application operates at extreme temperatures with Smart Temperature Supervisor enabled, the user should note that outside the valid temperature range the device automatically shuts down as described above.

  • Page 75: Hybrid Positioning And Celllocate

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.13.12 Hybrid positioning and CellLocate Not supported by SARA-G300 and SARA-G310 versions. Although GNSS is a widespread technology, reliance on the visibility of extremely weak GNSS satellite signals means that positioning is not always possible, particularly in shielded environments such as indoors and enclosed park houses, or when a GNSS jamming signal is present.
  • Page 76 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 3. If a new device reports the observation of Cell A CellLocate is able to provide the estimated position from the area of visibility 4. The visibility of multiple cells provides increased accuracy based on the intersection of areas of visibility.

  • Page 77: Firmware Upgrade Over At (Foat)

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual The use of hybrid positioning requires a connection via the DDC (I C) bus between the SARA-G340 / SARA-G350 cellular modules and the u-blox GNSS receiver (see section 2.6.4). See GNSS Implementation Application Note [24] for the complete description of the feature.

  • Page 78: In-Band Modem (Ecall / Era-Glonass)

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 1.13.15 In-Band modem (eCall / ERA-GLONASS) Not supported by SARA-G300 / SARA-G310 / SARA-U260 / SARA-U280 modules. SARA-G340, SARA-G350 and SARA-U2 modules support an In-Band modem solution for the European eCall and the Russian ERA-GLONASS emergency call applications over cellular networks, implemented according to 3GPP TS 26.267 [22], BS EN 16062:2011 [30] and ETSI TS 122 101 [31] specifications.
  • Page 79 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual SARA-U2 modules, acting as an SAP client, can be connected to an SAP server by a completely wired connection, as shown in Figure 33. Device including SIM Device including SARA-U2 Mobile SARA-U2...

  • Page 80: Power Saving

    For the complete description of the AT+UPSV command, refer to the u-blox AT Commands Manual [3]. For the definition and the description of SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules operating modes, including the events forcing transitions between the different operating modes, refer to section 1.4.

  • Page 81: Design-In

    2 Design-in 2.1 Overview For an optimal integration of SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules in the final application board follow the design guidelines stated in this section. Every application circuit must be properly designed to guarantee the correct functionality of the related interface, however a number of points require higher attention during the design of the application device.

  • Page 82: Supply Interfaces

    (low impedance) connection to external ground can minimize power loss and improve RF and thermal performance. SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules must be supplied through the VCC pins by a proper DC power supply that should comply with the module VCC requirements summarized in Table 7.
  • Page 83 VCC pins within the specified operating range and must be capable of delivering to VCC pins the specified maximum peak / pulse current with 1/8 duty cycle (refer to the SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] or the SARA-U2 series Data Sheet [2]) ...
  • Page 84 VCC pins voltage must ramp from 2.5 V to 3.2 V in less than 1 ms to switch on the SARA-U2 modules or in less than 4 ms to switch on the SARA-G3 modules by applying VCC supply, that...
  • Page 85 Power capabilities: the LDO linear regulator with its output circuit must be capable of providing a proper voltage value to the VCC pins and of delivering to VCC pins the specified maximum peak / pulse current with 1/8 duty cycle (refer to the SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] or the SARA-U2 series Data Sheet [2]) ...
  • Page 86 VCC pins voltage must ramp from 2.5 V to 3.2 V in less than 1 ms to switch on the SARA-U2 modules or in less than 4 ms to switch on the SARA-G3 modules by applying VCC supply, that...
  • Page 87 VCC pins voltage must ramp from 2.5 V to 3.2 V in less than 1 ms to switch on the SARA-U2 modules or in less than 4 ms to switch on the SARA-G3 modules by applying VCC supply, that otherwise can be switched on by forcing a low level on the RESET_N pin during the VCC rising edge and then releasing the RESET_N pin when the VCC supply voltage stabilizes at its proper nominal value.
  • Page 88 Application devices that are powered by a Li-Ion (or Li-Polymer) battery pack should implement a suitable battery charger design as SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules do not have an on-board charging circuit. In the application circuit example described in Figure 40, a rechargeable Li-Ion (or Li-Polymer) battery pack, that features proper pulse and DC discharge current capabilities and proper DC series resistance, is directly connected to the VCC supply input of the module.
  • Page 89 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual the L6924U can also charge from an AC wall adapter as its input voltage range is tolerant up to 12 V: when a current-limited adapter is used, it can operate in quasi-pulse mode, reducing power dissipation.
  • Page 90 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual A power management IC should meet the following prerequisites to comply with the module VCC requirements summarized in Table 7:  High efficiency internal step down converter, compliant with the performances specified in section 2.2.1.2 ...
  • Page 91 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Using a battery pack with an internal NTC resistor, the MP2617 can monitor the battery temperature to protect the battery from operating under unsafe thermal conditions. Several parameters as the charging current, the charging timings, the input current limit, the input voltage limit,...
  • Page 92 RF signal. This is more likely to happen with switching DC-DC converters, in which case it is better to select the highest operating frequency for the switcher and add a large L-C filter before connecting to the SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules in the worst case. ...

  • Page 93: Rtc Supply (V_Bckp)

    V_BCKP, with a 4.7 k series resistor to hold the V_BCKP voltage within its valid range for ~13 hours (SARA-G3 series) or for ~8 hours (SARA-U2 series) at 25 °C, after the VCC supply is removed. The purpose of the series resistor is to limit the capacitor charging current due to the large capacitor specifications, and also to let a fast rise time of the voltage value at the V_BCKP pin after VCC supply has been provided.
  • Page 94 V_BCKP. Combining a SARA-G3 or a SARA-U2 cellular module with a u-blox GNSS positioning receiver, the positioning receiver VCC supply is controlled by the cellular module by means of the “GNSS supply enable” function provided by the GPIO2 of the cellular module.

  • Page 95: Interface Supply (V_Int)

    Since the V_INT supply is generated by an internal switching step-down regulator, the V_INT voltage ripple can range from 15 mVpp during active-mode or connected-mode (when the switching regulator operates in PWM mode), to 90 mVpp (SARA-G3 series) or 70 mVpp (SARA-U2 series) in low power idle-mode (when the switching regulator operates in PFM mode).

  • Page 96: System Functions Interfaces

    V_BCKP pin (refer to the SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] and the SARA-U2 series Data Sheet [2]), the V_BCKP supply cannot be used to bias the pull-up resistor: the supply rail of the application processor or the module VCC supply could be used, but this increases the V_BCKP (RTC supply) current consumption when the module is in not-powered mode (VCC supply not present).

  • Page 97: Module Reset (Reset_N)

    The power-on circuit (PWR_ON) requires careful layout since it is the sensitive input available to switch on the SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules until a valid VCC supply is provided after that the module has been switched off by the AT+CPWROFF command: ensure that the voltage level is well defined during operation and no transient noise is coupled on this line, otherwise the module might detect a spurious power-on request.

  • Page 98: 32 Khz Signal (Ext32K And 32K_Out)

    Time Clock (RTC) reference clock, so that the modules can enter the low power idle-mode, reaching low current consumption figures (refer to the section 1.5.1.4 and to the SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1]), and can provide the RTC functions when the module is switched on.
  • Page 99 (for the detailed characteristics see the SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1]). As additional solution, alternative and mutually exclusive to the two described in Figure 46 and Figure 47, a proper 32 kHz signal can be provided to the EXT32K input by the used application processor, if capable.

  • Page 100: Antenna Interface

    2.4 Antenna interface The ANT pin, provided by all the SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules, represents the RF input/output used to transmit and receive the 2G/3G RF cellular signals: the antenna must be connected to this pin. The ANT pin has a nominal characteristic impedance of 50 ...
  • Page 101 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual In both cases, selecting an external or an internal antenna, observe these recommendations:  Select an antenna providing optimal return loss (or V.S.W.R.) figure over all the operating frequencies  Select an antenna providing optimal efficiency figure over all the operating frequencies ...
  • Page 102 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Figure 49 and Figure 50 provide two examples of proper 50  coplanar waveguide designs. The first transmission line can be implemented in case of 4-layer PCB stack-up herein described, the second transmission line can be implemented in case of 2-layer PCB stack-up herein described.
  • Page 103 ESD immunity at the antenna port of SARA-U2 modules as described in section 2.13 (a series 0  jumper can be mounted for SARA-G3 modules instead of the high pass filter as no further precaution to ESD immunity test is needed).
  • Page 104 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Guidelines for RF termination design The RF termination must provide a characteristic impedance of 50  as well as the RF transmission line up to the RF termination itself, to match the characteristic impedance of the ANT pin of the module.

  • Page 105: Antenna Detection Interface (Ant_Det)

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.4.2 Antenna detection interface (ANT_DET) Antenna detection interface (ANT_DET) is not supported by SARA-G300 and SARA-G310 modules. 2.4.2.1 Guidelines for ANT_DET circuit design Figure 52 and Table 26 describe the recommended schematic and components for the antenna detection circuit to be provided on the application board for the diagnostic circuit that must be provided on the antenna assembly to achieve antenna detection functionality.
  • Page 106 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual  Additional high pass filter (C3 and L2 in Figure 52) is provided at the ANT pin as ESD immunity improvement for SARA-U2 modules (a series 0  jumper can be mounted for SARA-G340 and SARA-G350 modules instead of the high pass filter, as no further precaution to ESD immunity test is needed).
  • Page 107 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.4.2.1 Guidelines for ANT_DET layout design Figure 53 describes the recommended layout for the antenna detection circuit to be provided on the application board to achieve antenna detection functionality, implementing the recommended schematic described in the previous Figure 52 and Table 26.

  • Page 108: Sim Interface

    USB interfaces and other uses, but only 6 contacts are required and must be connected to the module SIM card interface as described above, since SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 modules do not support the additional auxiliary features (contacts C4 = AUX1 and C8 = AUX2).
  • Page 109 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Guidelines for single SIM card connection without detection An application circuit for the connection to a single removable SIM card placed in a SIM card holder is described in Figure 54, where the optional SIM detection feature is not implemented (see the circuit described in Figure 56 if the SIM detection feature is required).
  • Page 110 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Guidelines for single SIM chip connection An application circuit for the connection to a single solderable SIM chip (M2M UICC Form Factor) is described in Figure 55, where the optional SIM detection feature is not implemented (see the circuit described in Figure 56 if the SIM detection feature is required).
  • Page 111 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Guidelines for single SIM card connection with detection SIM card detection is not supported by SARA-G300-00S and SARA-G310-00S modules. An application circuit for the connection to a single removable SIM card placed in a SIM card holder is described in Figure 56, where the optional SIM card detection feature is implemented.
  • Page 112 Figure 57. SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 modules do not support the usage of two SIM at the same time, but two SIM can be populated on the application board providing a proper switch to connect only the first SIM or only the second SIM per time to the SIM interface of the SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 modules as described in Figure 57.
  • Page 113 The layout of the SIM card interface lines (VSIM, SIM_CLK, SIM_IO, SIM_RST) may be critical if the SIM card is placed far away from the SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules or in close proximity to the RF antenna: these two cases should be avoided or at least mitigated as described below.

  • Page 114: Serial Interfaces

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.6 Serial interfaces 2.6.1 Asynchronous serial interface (UART) 2.6.1.1 Guidelines for UART circuit design Providing the full RS-232 functionality (using the complete V.24 link) If RS-232 compatible signal levels are needed, two different external voltage translators (e.g. Maxim MAX3237E and Texas Instruments SN74AVC8T245PW) can be used to provide full RS-232 (9 lines) functionality.
  • Page 115 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Providing the TXD, RXD, RTS, CTS and DTR lines only (not using the complete V.24 link) If the functionality of the DSR, DCD and RI lines is not required, or the lines are not available: ...
  • Page 116 DTR line, as described in section 1.9.1.4, reaching very low current consumption. With this configuration, not supported only by SARA-G3 modules, when the module is in idle-mode, the UART is re-enabled 20 ms after DTR has been set ON, and the recognition of subsequent characters is guaranteed until the module is in active-mode If the HW flow-control is disabled (AT&K0), it is recommended to enable the power saving in one of these ways:...
  • Page 117 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual If a 3.0 V Application Processor is used, appropriate unidirectional voltage translators must be provided using the module V_INT output as 1.8 V supply, as described in Figure 63. Application Processor SARA-G3 / SARA-U2 (3.0V DTE)
  • Page 118 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual If a 1.8 V application processor is used, the circuit that should be implemented as described in Figure 64: Application Processor SARA-G3 / SARA-U2 (1.8V DTE) (1.8V DCE) 0Ω 0Ω 0Ω Figure 64: UART interface application circuit with partial V.24 link (3-wire) in the DTE/DCE serial communication (1.8 V DTE) If a 3.0 V Application Processor is used, appropriate unidirectional voltage translators must be provided using the...

  • Page 119: Auxiliary Asynchronous Serial Interface (Uart Aux)

    The auxiliary UART interface can be connected to an application processor if it can be set in pass-through mode so that the auxiliary UART interface can be accessed for SARA-G3 modules’ firmware upgrade by means of the u-blox EasyFlash tool and for diagnostic purpose.
  • Page 120 Guidelines for UART AUX layout design The auxiliary UART serial interface is not critical for the layout design since it is not used during normal operation of SARA-G3 modules. Ensure accessibility to the TXD_AUX and RXD_AUX pins providing test points on the application board.

  • Page 121: Universal Serial Bus (Usb)

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.6.3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) USB interface is not supported by SARA-G3 modules. 2.6.3.1 Guidelines for USB circuit design The USB_D+ and USB_D- lines carry the USB serial data and signaling. The lines are used in single ended mode for full speed signaling handshake, as well as in differential mode for high speed signaling and data transfer.
  • Page 122 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.6.3.2 Guidelines for USB layout design The USB_D+ / USB_D- lines require accurate layout design to achieve reliable signaling at the high speed data rate (up to 480 Mb/s) supported by the USB serial interface.

  • Page 123: Ddc (I C) Interface

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.6.4 DDC (I C) interface DDC (I C) interface is not supported by SARA-G300 and SARA-G310 modules. 2.6.4.1 Guidelines for DDC (I C) circuit design General considerations The DDC I C-bus master interface of SARA-G340, SARA-G350 and SARA-U2 cellular modules can be used to...
  • Page 124 GNSS data ready TxD1 GPIO3 GNSS RTC sharing EXTINT0 GPIO4 Figure 71: Application circuit for connecting SARA-G3 / SARA-U2 modules to u-blox 1.8 V GNSS receivers Reference Description Part Number - Manufacturer R1, R2 4.7 kΩ Resistor 0402 5% 0.1 W RC0402JR-074K7L - Yageo Phycomp 47 kΩ...
  • Page 125 The V_INT supply output provides low voltage ripple (up to 15 mVpp) when the module is in active-mode or in connected-mode, but it provides higher voltage ripple (up to 90 mVpp on SARA-G3 series, or up to 70 mVpp on SARA-U2 series) when the module is in the low power idle-mode with power saving configuration enabled by the AT+UPSV (see u-blox AT Commands Manual [3]).
  • Page 126 TxD1 GPIO3 GNSS RTC sharing EXTINT0 GPIO4 DIR2 Figure 73: Application circuit for connecting SARA-G3 modules to u-blox 3.0 V GNSS receivers Reference Description Part Number – Manufacturer R1, R2 4.7 kΩ Resistor 0402 5% 0.1 W RC0402JR-074K7L - Yageo Phycomp 47 kΩ...
  • Page 127 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Figure 74 shows an application circuit example for connecting a SARA-U2 cellular module to a u-blox 3.0 V GNSS receiver:  As the SDA and SCL pins of the SARA-U2 cellular module are not tolerant up to 3.0 V, the connection to the related I C pins of the u-blox 3.0 V GNSS receiver must be provided using a proper I...
  • Page 128 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual For additional guidelines regarding the design of applications with u-blox 3.0 V GNSS receivers see the GNSS Implementation Application Note [24] and to the Hardware Integration Manual of the u-blox GNSS receivers.

  • Page 129: Audio Interface

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.7 Audio interface 2.7.1 Analog audio interface SARA-G300, SARA-G310 and SARA-U2 modules do not provide analog audio interface. 2.7.1.1 Guidelines for microphone and speaker connection circuit design (headset / handset modes) SARA-G340 and SARA-G350 modules provide one analog audio input path and one analog audio output path: the same paths are used for both headset and handset modes, so that basically the same application circuit can be implemented for both headset and handset modes.
  • Page 130 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual  Provide proper parts on each line connected to the receiver / speaker as noise and EMI improvements, to minimize RF coupling, according to EMC requirements of the custom application. Mount a 27 pF bypass capacitor (e.g. Murata GRM1555C1H270J) from each speaker line to solid ground plane (C6 and C7 capacitors in Figure 75).
  • Page 131 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.7.1.2 Guidelines for microphone and loudspeaker connection circuit design (hands-free mode) Figure 76 shows an application circuit for the analog audio interface in hands-free mode, connecting a 2.2 k electret microphone and an 8  or 4  loudspeaker: ...
  • Page 132 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual SARA-G340 SARA-G350 MIC_BIAS MIC_P MIC_N Microphone Connector MIC_GND Audio Amplifier LSPK Loud-Speaker Connector SPK_P OUT+ SPK_N OUT- Figure 76: Analog audio interface hands-free mode application circuit Reference Description Part Number – Manufacturer C1, C10 10 µF Capacitor Ceramic X5R 0603 20% 6.3 V...
  • Page 133 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.7.1.3 Guidelines for external analog audio device connection circuit design The differential analog audio I/O can be used to connect the module to an external analog audio device. Audio devices with a differential analog I/O are preferable, as they are more immune to external disturbances.
  • Page 134 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Reference Description Part Number – Manufacturer C1, C2, C3, C4, 10 µF Capacitor X5R 0603 5% 6.3 V GRM188R60J106M – Murata C5, C6, C7, C8 R1, R3 0 Ω Resistor 0402 5% 0.1 W RC0402JR-070RL –...

  • Page 135: Digital Audio Interface

    The external digital audio device must be compliant to the configuration of the digital audio interface of the cellular module, providing:  The opposite role: slave for SARA-G3 modules that act as master only; slave or master for SARA-U2 modules that may act as master or slave ...
  • Page 136 Application Processor Speaker Connector EMI3 OUTP EMI4 Clock Output MCLK OUTN C14 C13 C10 C9 Figure 79: Application circuit for connecting SARA-G3 / SARA-U2 modules with an external audio codec UBX-13000995 - R08 Objective Specification Design-in Page 136 of 188...
  • Page 137 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Any external signal connected to the digital audio interface must be tri-stated or set low when the module is in power-down mode and during the module power-on sequence (at least until the activation of the V_INT supply output of the module), to avoid latch-up of circuits and allow a proper boot of the module.

  • Page 138: General Purpose Input/Output (Gpio)

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.8 General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) 2.8.1.1 Guidelines for GPIO circuit design The following application circuits are suggested as a general guideline for the usage of the GPIO pins available with the SARA-G340 / SARA-G350 and SARA-U2 series modules, according to the related custom function.

  • Page 139: Reserved Pins (Rsvd)

    The general purpose input/output pins are generally not critical for layout. 2.9 Reserved pins (RSVD) SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules have pins reserved for future use. All the RSVD pins, except pin number 33, can be left unconnected on the application board. Figure 81 illustrates the application circuit.

  • Page 140: Module Footprint And Paste Mask

    Stencil: 150 H’ H’’ µm J’ J’’ F’ F’’ F’ F’’ Figure 82: SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules suggested footprint and paste mask (application board top view) Parameter Value Parameter Value Parameter Value 26.0 mm 1.10 mm 2.75 mm 16.0 mm H’...

  • Page 141: Thermal Guidelines

    Mounting a SARA-G3 module on a 79 mm x 62 mm x 1.41 mm 4-Layers PCB with a high coverage of copper in still air conditions...
  • Page 142  Select by means of AT command the operating band which provides lower current consumption (see current consumption values reported in SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] or SARA-U2 series Data Sheet [2], and u-blox AT Commands Manual [3], +UBANDSEL command) ...

  • Page 143: Esd Guidelines

    R&TTED and European Conformance CE mark. The EMC / ESD approved u-blox reference designs consist of a SARA-G3 or a SARA-U2 module soldered onto a motherboard which provides supply interface, SIM card, headset and communication port. An external cellular antenna is connected to an SMA connector provided on the motherboard.

  • Page 144: Esd Application Circuits

    Antenna interface The ANT pin of SARA-G3 modules provides ESD immunity up to ±4 kV for direct Contact Discharge and up to ±8 kV for Air Discharge according to IEC 61000-4-2: no further precaution to ESD immunity test is needed, as implemented in the EMC / ESD approved reference design of SARA-G3 modules.
  • Page 145 Other pins and interfaces All the module pins that are externally accessible on the device integrating SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series module should be included in the ESD immunity test since they are considered to be a port as defined in ETSI EN 301 489-1 [19].

  • Page 146: Sara-G350 Atex Integration In Explosive Atmospheres Applications

    2.14.1 General guidelines SARA-G350 ATEX modules are certified as components intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (see section 4.5 and see the ‘Approvals‘ section of the SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] for further details), with the following marking: ...

  • Page 147: Guidelines For Vcc Supply Circuit Design

    The module does not contain blocks which increase the voltage (e.g. like step-up, duplicators, boosters, etc.) The nameplate of SARA-G350 ATEX modules is described in the ‘Product labeling’ section of the SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1]. Additional information can be found on the SARA-G350 ATEX modules’ certificate of compliancy for use in potentially explosive atmospheres available on our website (www.u-blox.com).

  • Page 148: Guidelines For Antenna Rf Interface Design

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Series current limiters The use of three series blocking diodes in circuits of Level of Protection ‘ia’ is permitted, however, other semiconductors and controllable semiconductor devices shall be used as series current-limiting devices only in Level of Protection ‘ib’...

  • Page 149: Schematic For Sara-G3 And Sara-U2 Series Module Integration

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.15 Schematic for SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series module integration 2.15.1 Schematic for SARA-G300 / SARA-G310 modules integration Figure 84 is an example of a schematic diagram where a SARA-G300 / SARA-G310 module is integrated into an application board, using all the available interfaces and functions of the module.

  • Page 150: Schematic For Sara-G340 / Sara-G350 Modules Integration

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.15.2 Schematic for SARA-G340 / SARA-G350 modules integration Figure 85 is an example of a schematic diagram where a SARA-G340 / SARA-G350 module is integrated into an application board, using all the available interfaces and functions of the module.

  • Page 151: Schematic For Sara-U2 Series Modules Integration

    RSVD RSVD Figure 86: Example of schematic diagram to integrate SARA-U2 module in an application board, using all the interfaces For a complete schematic example including all SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules see Figure 94. UBX-13000995 - R08 Objective Specification...

  • Page 152: Design-In Checklist

    Check UART signals direction, since the signal names follow the ITU-T V.24 Recommendation [10].  Provide accessible testpoints directly connected to the following pins of the SARA-G3 series modules: TXD_AUX and RXD_AUX pins, V_INT pin, RESET_N and/or PWR_ON pins, for module FW upgrade by the u-blox EasyFlash tool and for diagnostic purpose.

  • Page 153: Layout Checklist

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 2.16.2 Layout checklist The following are the most important points for a simple layout check:  Check 50  nominal characteristic impedance of the RF transmission line connected to the ANT pad (antenna RF input/output interface).

  • Page 154: Handling And Soldering

    For information pertaining to reels and tapes, Moisture Sensitivity levels (MSD), shipment and storage information, as well as drying for preconditioning see the SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1] or the SARA-U2 series Data Sheet [2] and the u-blox Package Information Guide [27].

  • Page 155: Soldering

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 3.3 Soldering 3.3.1 Soldering paste Use of "No Clean" soldering paste is strongly recommended, as it does not require cleaning after the soldering process has taken place. The paste listed in the example below meets these criteria.

  • Page 156: Optical Inspection

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules must not be soldered with a damp heat process. 3.3.3 Optical inspection After soldering the SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules, inspect the modules optically to verify that the module is properly aligned and centered. 3.3.4 Cleaning Cleaning the soldered modules is not recommended.

  • Page 157: Repeated Reflow Soldering

    Certain applications employ a conformal coating of the PCB using HumiSeal or other related coating products. These materials affect the RF properties of the SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules and it is important to prevent them from flowing into the module.

  • Page 158: Approvals

    The required certification scheme approvals and relative testing specifications differ depending on the country or the region where the device that integrates SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules must be deployed, on the relative vertical market of the device, on type, features and functionalities of the whole application device, and on the network operators where the device must operate.

  • Page 159: Federal Communications Commission And Industry Canada Notice

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 4.2 Federal Communications Commission and Industry Canada notice Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ID:  For SARA-G310 modules: XPYSARAG350  For SARA-G350 modules: XPYSARAG350  For SARA-U260 modules: XPYSARAU260  For SARA-U280 modules: to be defined Industry Canada (IC) Certification Numbers: ...

  • Page 160: Modifications

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 4.2.3 Modifications The FCC requires the user to be notified that any changes or modifications made to this device that are not expressly approved by u-blox could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

  • Page 161: R&Tted And European Conformance Ce Mark

    EN 60950-1:2006 + A11:2009 + A1:2010 + A12:2011 + AC:2011 EN 62311:2008 The conformity assessment procedure for all the SARA-G3 series modules except SARA-G350 ATEX modules, referred to in Article 10 and detailed in Annex IV of Directive 1999/5/EC, has been followed with the...

  • Page 162: Anatel Certification

    Body number: 1588 Thus, the following marking is included in the product: 1588 There is no restriction for the commercialization of the SARA-G3 series, SARA-U270 and SARA-U290 modules in all the countries of the European Union. 4.4 Anatel certification SARA-G310 and SARA-G350 modules are certified by the Brazilian Agency of Telecommunications (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações in Portuguese) (Anatel).

  • Page 163: Sara-G350 Atex Conformance For Use In Explosive Atmospheres

    2 W RF pulse power and 1.15 mJ RF pulse energy according to the GSM/GPRS power class stated in Table 3. The nameplate of SARA-G350 ATEX modules is described in the ‘Product labeling’ section of the SARA-G3 series Data Sheet [1].

  • Page 164: Product Testing

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual 5 Product testing 5.1 u-blox in-series production test u-blox focuses on high quality for its products. All units produced are fully tested. Defective units are analyzed in detail to improve the production quality.

  • Page 165: Go/No Go" Tests For Integrated Devices

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual  Component assembly on the device; it should be verified that: Communication with host controller can be established The interfaces between module and device are working Overall RF performance test of the device including antenna Dedicated tests can be implemented to check the device.
  • Page 166 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Wireless Wideband Antenna Antenna Application SARA-G3 Spectrum Processor SARA-U2 Analyzer Commands Power Meter Application Board Wireless Wideband Antenna Antenna Application SARA-G3 Processor SARA-U2 Commands Signal Generator Application Board Figure 89: Setup with spectrum analyzer and signal generator for radiated measurement...
  • Page 167 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Example of production tests for OEM manufacturer: 1. Trigger TX GMSK burst at low Power Control Level (lower than 15) or a RX measure reporting to check: If ANT pin is soldered If ANT pin is in short circuit If the module was damaged during soldering process or during handling (ESD, mechanical shock…)

  • Page 168: Appendix

    28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 Figure 90: LISA series vs. SARA-G3 series modules pin assignment: highlighted pads that can be shared on the application board This is the basis of the Nested Design concept: any SARA-G3, LISA-U1, LISA-U2, or LISA-C2 module can be mounted on the same nested board as shown in Figure 91, enabling straightforward development of products supporting either GSM/GPRS, W-CDMA or CDMA cellular technology with the same application board.

  • Page 169: Checklist For Migration

    SARA-G3 and LISA modules. Check SARA-G3 modules software requirements Not all of the functionalities available with LISA modules are supported by all the SARA-G3 modules versions. SARA-G300 and SARA-G310 modules do not support:...

  • Page 170: Software Migration

    Table 51 or to the relative datasheet of the module [1], [4], [5], [6]. The SARA-G3 maximum average current consumption is lower than the LISA one due to the lower data rate or the different channel access technology. SARA-G3 modules require large current pulses in connected-mode as well as LISA-U series when a 2G call is enabled.

  • Page 171: System Functions Interfaces

    A.4.2 System functions interfaces Module power-on SARA-G3 and LISA series power-on sequence is initiated in one of the ways summarized in Table 50. For more details, see section 1.6.1 or to the relative System Integration Manual of the module [7], [8].

  • Page 172: Antenna Interface

    An external circuit can be implemented on the application device integrating SARA-U2 and LISA-U2 modules to satisfy ESD immunity test requirements at the antenna port, as described in sections 2.13 and 2.4, and in the LISA-U Series System Integration Manual [8]. The same external circuit is not required for SARA-G3, LISA-U1 and LISA-C2 modules.

  • Page 173: Sim Interface

    The same compatible external circuit can be implemented for SARA and LISA modules: SIM detection function is provided by the SIM_DET pin on SARA-G3 modules and by the GPIO5 pin on LISA-U modules. SIM card hot insertion/removal is additionally supported by all LISA-U2 series except LISA-U200-00S.

  • Page 174: Audio Interfaces

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual SARA-G300, SARA-G310 and LISA-U200-00S modules do not support the DDC (I C) interface. LISA-C2 modules will support the DDC (I C) interface in the upcoming firmware releases. All LISA-U2 modules, except LISA-U200-00S, additionally support the communication with I...

  • Page 175: Pin-Out Comparison Between Lisa And Sara-G3

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual A.4.9 Pin-out comparison between LISA and SARA-G3 Table 51 summarizes the pin electrical differences between LISA and SARA-G3 cellular modules. Pin Name N° SARA-G3 series N° LISA-C2 series LISA-U1 series LISA-U2 series...
  • Page 176 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Pin Name N° SARA-G3 series N° LISA-C2 series LISA-U1 series LISA-U2 series SIM_CLK 1.8V / 3V SIM clock 1.8V / 3V SIM clock 1.8V / 3V SIM clock 1.8V / 3V SIM clock...
  • Page 177 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Pin Name N° SARA-G3 series N° LISA-C2 series LISA-U1 series LISA-U2 series Audio Analog MIC_BIAS SARA-G340/SARA-G350: Not Available Not Available Not Available 2.2 V supply output for external microphone MIC_GND SARA-G340/SARA-G350: Not Available...
  • Page 178 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Pin Name N° SARA-G3 series N° LISA-C2 series LISA-U1 series LISA-U2 series Other CODEC_CLK Not Available Not Available Not Available 1.8 V, 13/26 MHz Out Driver strength: 4 mA LISA-U200-00S: N.A. GPIO...
  • Page 179 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Pin Name N° SARA-G3 series N° LISA-C2 series LISA-U1 series LISA-U2 series GPIO13 Not Available Not Available Not Available 1.8 V, configurable GPIO Default: SPI_SRDY Driver strength: 6 mA Inner pull-down: 200 µA...

  • Page 180: B Migration Between Sara-G3 And Sara-U2

    B Migration between SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 B.1 Overview SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series cellular modules have exactly the same SARA form factor (26.0 x 16.0 mm LGA) with exactly the same 96-pin layout as described in Figure 90, so that the modules can be alternatively mounted on a single application board using exactly the same copper mask, solder mask and paste mask.

  • Page 181: Pin-Out Comparison Between Sara-G3 And Sara-U2

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual B.2 Pin-out comparison between SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 SARA-G3 SARA-U2 Pin No Pin Name Description Pin Name Description Remarks for migration Ground Ground V_BCKP RTC Supply I/O V_BCKP RTC Supply I/O No functional difference...
  • Page 182 Table 53: SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 pin assignment with remarks for migration For the detailed functional description of each interface of SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series modules see the related section in the section 1, whereas for detailed design-in see the related section in the chapter 2.

  • Page 183: Schematic For Sara-G3 And Sara-U2 Integration

    Mount for SARA-G340 / SARA-G350 modules RSVD / SPK_N Mount for SARA-G340 / SARA-G350 / SARA-U2 modules Figure 94: Example of complete schematic diagram to integrate SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 modules on the same application board UBX-13000995 - R08 Objective Specification...

  • Page 184: C Glossary

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual C Glossary 3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project Analog to Digital Converter Application Processor AT Command Interpreter Software Subsystem, or attention Coding Scheme Circuit Switched Data Clear To Send Direct Current Data Carrier Detect...
  • Page 185 SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Inter-Integrated Circuit interface Inter IC Sound interface Internet Protocol Leadless Chip Carrier Low-Dropout Land Grid Array Low Noise Amplifier Machine-to-Machine Modulation Coding Scheme Not Applicable N.A. Not Available Power Amplifier Pulse Code Modulation...

  • Page 186: Related Documents

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Related documents u-blox SARA-G3 series Data Sheet, Docu No UBX-13000993 u-blox SARA-U2 series Data Sheet, Docu No UBX-13005287 u-blox AT Commands Manual, Docu No UBX-13002752 u-blox LISA-C200 series Data Sheet, Docu No UBX-13000623...

  • Page 187: Revision History

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Revision history Revision Date Name Status / Comments 30-Oct-2012 sses Initial release 28-Mar-2013 sses Updated status to Advance Information Updated suggested paste mask Updated current consumption description Updated voice-band processing system block diagram...

  • Page 188: Contact

    SARA-G3 and SARA-U2 series - System Integration Manual Contact For complete contact information visit us at www.u-blox.com. u-blox Offices North, Central and South America Headquarters Asia, Australia, Pacific Europe, Middle East, Africa u-blox America, Inc. u-blox Singapore Pte. Ltd. u-blox AG...

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